


it was love

by perfectlyrose



Series: a young mountain and a strange girl [8]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 21:05:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9516167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectlyrose/pseuds/perfectlyrose
Summary: John has a plan to finally tell Rose the three little words that are on the tip of his tongue every time he sees her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> eighth in the "a young mountain and a strange girl" series // as always, inspired by the song "Strange Girl" by The Zolas
> 
> set a month or so after the last installment - "and it kept moving" - and this one now is the longest ficlet in the series!

John ignored the dirty looks from the people near him in the library as he grabbed his vibrating mobile off the table and scooped up his books to head out. He was almost at the door when he swiped his finger across the screen to answer the call.

“Hey Rose, out of class?”

“No, I’m calling you in the middle of my history lecture,” she snarked at him. “Yes, Doctor, I’m out of class.”

He just grinned. “Wouldn’t put it past you to call me during class.”

“Yeah, well, I restrained myself. Want to get chips? I’m famished and I haven’t done the shopping and I’m guessing there’s nothing at yours either.”

“Just come to mine, I’ll pick something up on my way. We can do chips tomorrow,” John said, already on his way to the Italian place they both liked to pick up the order he’d placed earlier in the day. He had plans for tonight and he wanted everything to be perfect. He certainly wasn’t going to muck anything up by attempting to cook.

“Deal,” Rose said. “See you in a bit.”

She rung off before he had a chance to say anything else. John started walking faster, hoping he could get through his couple of errands and back to his flat before Rose.

Getting the food was quick and he had just enough time to nip into Tescos for a bottle of red wine that they both liked and should go with their meal. He took the stairs up to his flat two at a time and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was still dark.

He quickly moved through to the kitchen to get things ready. John replated the food from the to-go containers onto actual plates and poured two glasses of wine. He carefully placed everything on the table and then grabbed the candles he’d bought the other day. He had just finished lighting them when he heard a key sliding into the lock.

Rose was here.

John swallowed hard, adjusted his jacket and waited.

“Oh my god, it smells delicious in here,” Rose said as soon as the door opened. He heard the thunk of her bookbag hitting the ground, followed by two smaller thuds as she kicked off her shoes.

He stepped out of the kitchen with a smile. “I did promise you food.”

“Mmm, you know the way to a girl’s heart, Doctor.” Rose looped her arms around his neck and leaned up for a quick kiss.

When she dropped back down she tried to peer around him into the kitchen. “I was expecting you to pick up curry or something but that’s not what it smells like.”

John gestured for her to go into the kitchen. “Stopped at the Italian place and got our usual.”

He tried to shrug like it was nothing but from the way Rose’s eyes were darting from him to the candlelit table he knew he was busted.

“They don’t do spur of the moment take-out orders, Doctor.”

“I asked nicely.”

“No, you planned this for some reason.” She narrowed her eyes at him for a second. “I didn’t forget a birthday or something special, did I?”

“No!”

“Well, I’m pretty sure you know by now that you don’t need a fancy meal to seduce me,” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m not trying to seduce you with Italian food, Rose.” 

“Then…” she trailed off and waved her hand at the table.

“Can’t I just surprise you with a date night on occasion?” he asked. This was not really going according to plan.

Rose’s face softened. “Of course you can. I just wasn’t expecting anything.”

“Hence the surprise part of the equation,” he shot back drily. 

Rose rolled her eyes and moved towards her spot at the table where her favorite dish was awaiting her. John sat opposite of her, admiring the way the candlelight danced across her skin.

“Thanks for this, Doctor,” she said softly as she surveyed the table before meeting his gaze. “I don’t think I’ve ever had dinner by candlelight before. This is nice.”

“You deserve the best, Rose.”

Her smile twisted a little, turned a little sad but she didn’t say anything, just focused on the fork she was fiddling with.

John reached out and covered her free hand with his. “Hey, I mean it.”

“That’s because you’re too good for me,” Rose replied, still not meeting his eyes. “Always have been.”

“Now, that’s not true. Thought we decided that you were the one who was out of my league.”

Rose bit back a smile, a genuine one and flicked her gaze up to meet his. “Well, there is that.”

John squeezed her hand. “I want to give you all the best things, Rose, everything that the universe has to offer. I’d give you the stars if I could.”

“Don’t want the stars, Doctor. Just want you.”

“You have me. Have done since we were fifteen, really.”

Rose shook her head slightly. “I have no clue why you even want me around. Keep waiting for you to come to your senses and realize that me and my baggage are no good for you.”

John gave her an incredulous look. “How can you not know, Rose? I mean, I haven’t told you in as many words but that’s what tonight was for--wanted it to be perfect, me--but I thought you knew.”

“Doctor, you’re rambling. What did you think I knew?”

“That I love you. That I’m in love with you and have been for ages.”

Rose stared at him wide-eyed, jaw slack. He wasn’t sure if she was still processing or if she was going to bolt but he held onto her hand just the same, caressing her with his thumb.

“Rose?”

“You love me?”

“Well, yeah. Been trying to tell you for a while but it never seemed like the right time so I thought a nice dinner would be good. Wanted it to be perfect, like I said.”

Rose huffed out a laugh even as her eyes started shimmering with moisture. “You daft man, as long as it’s you it’s always perfect. I don’t need all the trappings.”

“But you deserve them.”

“Never pegged you as a secret romantic,” she mused.

“Good to retain a bit of mystery,” he shot back. His heart was pounding doubletime in his chest. She hadn’t said anything back about his revelation, not directly.

He thought, or hoped rather, that his feelings were returned but Rose Tyler had always been, and would always be, the puzzle he could never solve.

“Why?” Rose said after a moment of silence.

“Why do I want to retain a bit of mystery?” John asked, confused about the conversational turn.

“No, why do you love me? I know I’m not the easiest person to be around.” She had stopped playing with her fork in favor of picking at the black polish on her fingers.

“Because you’re you,” John answered, hoping his sincerity, his love rang through his words. “Because you’re smart and beautiful and complicated. Because my heart races every time you smile at me. Because our hands fit together and you are unapologetically yourself and you let me be myself.”

He paused, pressing his lips together before continuing. “I’m not the easiest person to be around either, Rose. But loving you  _ is  _ easy.”

“ _ John, _ ” she whispered, voice breaking on the single syllable.

“You haven’t called me that in years.”

Rose bit down on her lip and then stood, letting the napkin that had been on her lap flutter to floor unnoticed. She rounded the small table and sat down in John’s lap, wrapping her arms around him.

“I don’t think anyone’s told me they loved me and meant it since Mum died,” she whispered into his chest.

John tightened his grip on her. He wanted to find everyone who had denied his precious girl the love she deserved and shake some sense into them but he had an armful of Rose and that was much more important.

“I mean it,” he promised again.

“I know. It scares me but I’m also so happy I don’t know what to do,” she said with a sniffle.

“You don’t sound happy,” he ventured.

“I am, though. Deliriously happy!” she pulled back so she could look him in the face. The smile on her face was small and wavering but it was genuine and bright. John wasn’t sure he’d ever seen this particular smile before, wasn’t sure he’d seen her quite this unguarded ever before.

“I think I’m in love with you too, Doctor,” she admitted. “I’m absolutely bloody terrified about it and I’ll probably be rubbish at it but I think I love you.”

“You’re not rubbish at anything, Rose,” he argued.

Before she could come up with a counter-argument, John pressed his lips to hers and did his best to prove exactly how much he loved her. He always was of the mind that actions spoke louder than words.

Their dinner went cold on the table but neither of them cared. His planned evening might have been slightly derailed but as far as he was concerned, it had gone perfectly.


End file.
